Salvation, Redemption & Deliverance

 The other morning, while I was praying Shacharit on my own and got to the part in the Amidah where we can add our own personal petitions, I paused and thanked God from deep within my heart for saving me. This led to me wondering what the correct term was for Him rescuing me from a life apart from Him.

    In Parashah Va'era we read recently of the 4 expressions of redemption, when God took the Hebrews out of slavery in Egypt. 

Exodus 6:6-7:

לָכֵ֞ן אֱמֹ֥ר לִבְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ אֲנִ֣י יְהֹוָה֒ וְהוֹצֵאתִ֣י אֶתְכֶ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ סִבְלֹ֣ת מִצְרַ֔יִם וְהִצַּלְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם מֵעֲבֹדָתָ֑ם וְגָאַלְתִּ֤י אֶתְכֶם֙ בִּזְר֣וֹעַ נְטוּיָ֔ה וּבִשְׁפָטִ֖ים גְּדֹלִֽים׃

Say, therefore, to the Israelite people: I am GOD. I will free you from the labors of the Egyptians and deliver you from their bondage. I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and through extraordinary chastisements.

וְלָקַחְתִּ֨י אֶתְכֶ֥ם לִי֙ לְעָ֔ם וְהָיִ֥יתִי לָכֶ֖ם לֵֽאלֹהִ֑ים וִֽידַעְתֶּ֗ם כִּ֣י אֲנִ֤י יְהֹוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם הַמּוֹצִ֣יא אֶתְכֶ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת סִבְל֥וֹת מִצְרָֽיִם׃

And I will take you to be My people, and I will be your God. And you shall know that I, the ETERNAL, am your God who freed you from the labors of the Egyptians.

    So, the four expressions of redemption are:

1. I will bring you out.

2. I will deliver you.

3. I will redeem you.

4. I will take you (to myself).

    

    I began to think about whether these four stages of redemption/salvation/deliverance are a template and pattern for our redemption and salvation from slavery (sin) today. Let's have a look.

    When Yeshua (I knew Him as Jesus then) saved me more than 30 years ago, He indeed "took me out" from a sinful lifestyle. But He didn't stop there. He also "delivered me" from the stuff I was trapped in and removed my desire to sin. He further went on to redeem me. What does it mean to redeem something? It means to pay the price for something or someone. We all owe God a debt we can never pay. Yeshua - the nefesh of the Father - gave his life in an act of mesirut nefesh to make all humanity redeemable. We only need to look to Him as the Door into the Kingdom. Once we are willing, He takes us to Himself. How beautiful is that?! The Gospel is found in the redemption from slavery in Egypt thousands of years ago! And it's the pattern for our redemption today!

    Thank You, HaShem, for showing me these beautiful things in Your Word! 

As the days are so evil and the Messiah Son of David will soon come to reign on our planet, let us make sure we are among those who are redeemed - on all 4 levels!

Blessings, Penny